Its murder rate spiking, D.C. marks 100th homicide in 2015

It took the District until December 2014 to reach this count. This time last year, the city had 72 murders. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

The nation's capital marked its 100th murder of the year early Saturday morning. A Washington, D.C., man died on the 300 block of 54th Street, Northeast, at 3:17 a.m, after suffering multiple bullets wounds to his torso, NBC Washington reports.

It took the District until December in 2014 to reach this murder count. At this time last year, the city had 72 murders.

With the bleak milestone reached, Washington inches closer to the grim company of nearest major city Baltimore, Md. Long riddled with crime, especially in its west end, the Maryland port city has also seen a spiking murder rate, following riots involving police that drew national attention in late spring.

Washington's count is still comparatively modest. Baltimore's tally currently rests at 208 homicides as of Aug. 19, according to the Baltimore Sun. The two cities have nearly identical population sizes, with Baltimore at roughly 620,000 residents, and the District at 650,000.

The rising murder rate is thought to spell early political trouble for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, inaugurated on January 2. Bowser has so far responded to the rising murder rate by launching an illegal guns initiative, and also linking the surging tally to use of synthetic drugs, according to WUSA9.

Chicago has the most 2015 killings of any U.S. city, with 284 murders already committed this year.